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Ex-Aide: White Harassed Her

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By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 15, 2007

Updated: 11/15/2007 12:45 am

TAMPA - A former aide of County Commissioner Kevin White has accused him of sexual harassment, saying she was fired last week for rebuffing his advances.

Kevin White

Alyssa Ogden, 23, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday, alleging White repeatedly approached her romantically, beginning within days of her hiring in April.

White denied the allegations Wednesday, calling Ogden's complaint "baseless." He said she was fired Friday for poor performance and failing to grasp certain aspects of her job, including the needs of his district and its residents.

Among Ogden's allegations:

•White asked her to accompany him on a trip to Atlanta shortly after she was hired. She was told to take a separate flight and not discuss the trip with others.

She claims White asked to share a bed in her hotel room, saying, "I'm an only child. I just don't like sleeping by myself." Ogden said she refused and spent the night praying as he slept in another bed.

•About two months later, White asked for a kiss in an elevator at County Center.

•After a Tampa Bay Lightning game in October, White again propositioned her after they returned to his office at County Center. He tried to grab her and she pushed him off. Afterward, White threw a wad of money on a table and asked her, "When you going to give me a chance?"

White denied any of the incidents occurred and called Ogden's allegations the "actions of a disgruntled employee who obviously could not perform at an acceptable level in the position they held."

Ogden's complaint could result in a lawsuit, depending on the outcome of the EEOC investigation. County officials will meet today to decide whether to hire an outside attorney to defend White, County Attorney Renee Lee said. She said no complaints against White had been filed with the county and that Ogden never said anything to her about White's behavior.

Ogden said White's advances were always verbal and that there were no text messages or e-mails to support her claims. She said she didn't file a complaint until now because she feared retaliation from White.

Commissioner Is Married

White, 42, is a former Tampa police officer and city councilman. He is married and has two children.

He was elected to the county commission in 2006, taking office last November, and is the board's lone Democrat, representing a district that covers primarily central and east Tampa.

During the campaign, White ran afoul of Florida elections laws because he paid for $6,100 in new suits with campaign funds and listed his tailor as a consultant. He later repaid the money and was fined $9,500 by the Florida Elections Commission.

Ogden was hired in April at an annual salary of $43,160. She had worked as a clerical assistant at a law firm for seven months before taking the job, and her previous jobs included stints as a personal assistant and nanny. Her application also listed experience doing commercials and testimonials for a Tampa-based health supplement company.

She did not meet the requirements of the county job, according to standards listed in her file. White said he hired her based on a recommendation.

In a biting six-month evaluation in late September, White wrote, "I will continue to give you every benefit of doubt, but I can no longer settle for mediocrity within my staff." He wrote that he was giving her 30 to 45 days to improve.

She said she was "crushed" by the harsh review but that she expected retribution for saying no so many times.

The evaluation was not included in Ogden's personnel file at the county's Human Resources Department. Rather, it was provided by White, who said he maintained his own file on Ogden's performance in his office.

She said White's advances came almost daily, and he told her, "Stick with me, I'll take you to the top."

When asked if White might have meant the comment in a political sense, Ogden said no. She said he told her, "Nothing comes without a price."

Claims 'Outrageous,' White Says

White began Wednesday by chairing a meeting of the county's Public Transportation Commission, cracking jokes and making no mention of the allegations leveled against him.

By Wednesday afternoon, he had adopted a much more somber mood.

"It really saddens me that I have to respond to such outrageous allegations. It saddens me deeper that my family and my constituents have been embarrassed and impacted by these allegations," he said wearily.

Also by Wednesday afternoon, White had hired a new aide, one he said was more qualified.

Ogden spent Wednesday meeting with attorneys. She said she would pursue her complaint fully. "I don't want this to ever happen again."

Tribune reporter Ellen Gedalius contributed to this report. Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@tampatrib.com.

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